Philosophy Discussion Forums | A Humans-Only Club for Open-Minded Discussion & Debate

[abdelalim]

How to identify the snake Christian? When the Christian says "I believe in Jesus because he who is free from sin, let him cast the first stone, long live JESUS!"
But when one tells him "yes, but Jesus also says "you reap what you sow" there the snake Christian says "ahh no no no I don't believe in Jesus it's just a myth"


What are your experiences in relation to Christians?

[Mercy119]

I wonder where non-practicing Christians fall in this discussion. I was raised Christian but stopped going to church although I still believe in the Bible and agree that many biblical teachings are applicable to modern life. I've noticed that to staunch Christians, non-practicing Christians are looked down upon. I know not going to church isn't an insignificant matter but how do we help those who've fallen out of love with congregation?

[LuckyR]

Subgroups tend to normalize to themselves. Meaning that whatever level of observance they practice is "normal" and those do more are fanatics and those that do less are heathens.

[Lagayascienza]

I guess most non-practising Christians would be practising if they felt religion were serving any need they had. I also think that, in the past, church attendance was based mainly on fear due to religion's iron grip on people's minds. Christianity deals in reward and punishment; hellfire and damnation. Religion has always been about power and control. Fortunately, religion is falling away and people are leaving old superstitions behind and breathing the clearer air of non-theism.

In my own country, it is gratifying to see that Christianity is now a minority and that religion overall is in freefall. The following figures are from the 20211 census:

Christianity (43.9%)
No religion (38.9%)
Unanswered (7.2%)
Remainder (all other religions)

I imagine many non-practising Christians are on the way to "no religion" because the "no religion" category expands with each census. Therefore, if we subtract the CINO's (Christian in name only) the 43.9% would actually be somewhat less now. I expect this to be reflected in the next census.

Mercy, I'm wondering why you think that "those who've fallen out of love with congregation" need help. Some might argue that those who are still in love with religion are the ones in need of help. If religion were providing anything that the non-practicing group felt they needed, then they'd still be going to church. I expect that at our next census in 2026 the "no religion" group will be the largest single group.

[eyesofastranger]

I'm left wondering? There aren't people who don't believe in magic spells an incantations.. Are we doomed??

[Lagayascienza]

Nope. We are better off without the spells and incantation. And, IMO, we'd be better off without the mumbo jumbo, the guilt trips, the divisiveness and the exploitation that traditional religions deal in. We must hope that traditional religiosity continues to evaporate.

[eyesofastranger]

then why


































































































THEN why follow lie STALLIN hitter TRUMP mAU LISTRA' ECT




















'Then

[LuckyR]

I'm not seeing a major difference between the fanatical following of religious and secular leaders.

[Lagayascienza]

In terms of the rabid-right in the USA today, there is no difference. Religion is part of the marketing.

Tonight I re-watched a sci-fi movies called Elysium. The writer was prescient. The world portrayed seems to be the way the USA and the rest of the world is heading. Complete corporatization of everything, with wealth directed upwards, a shrivelling middle class and an ever increasing mass of desperate poor for whom the false succor of religion is all that will remain. That is Trump's, and the rabid-right's, vision for America and the world. A world ruled by global corporations with their authoritarian backers such as Trump, Putin and Xi in govenment. But the reign of such such murderers and felons will be a sham. They will too will be taught to know their place by the corporations.

I hope I am wrong. But if I am right, then the rest of this century may not turn out to be the best of times most of us might have lived.

[eyesofastranger]

TRUMP Is guaranteed WWIII. Calm down Biden delays it. Russia hasn't chit but they told the the world??? If you can't do it here you can't do it anywhere. Sad facts. Oh I am Peter Zion on a white screen on your computer hello today we are ......FU' He is a geopolitics guy but on this one he's right

[Lagayascienza]

Is your Peter Zion a reference to the 2022 book by Peter Zeihan called The End of the World is Just the Beginning: Mapping the Collapse of Globalization? I took a look at this book on Amazon. It looks interesting and, since I'm in doom and gloom mode, I'll get it on Kindle.

[eyesofastranger]

Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hittler, Donald Trump. Men who seek control. They fear other control like religions. I hover around the religion forum because I want to understand religion theory. I admittedly have become dirty on it having seen people in Uni learn critical thinking and really struggle. Years of abusive jesus camps, what they saw as nonsense as adults. I live in Canada and it is all but dead here if your under 50.

[Lagayascienza]

Glad to hear it. It's almost dead here in Australia, too. Critical thinking is not what religion and other forms of supernaturalism are interested in. I was raised a catholic in the 1950s and 60s. It took me decades to get over it. And I wonder what my life would have been like without their mental and physical abuse. But it caused me to question everything and to not trust anyone peddling supernatural nonsense. I'm happy about that. What type of Christian am I? A lapsed one. And much the happier and clear headed for it. Religion is about power and control. And don't the religious shriek as they start to lose it! It's music to my ears.

[Fanman]

I’m not a theist anymore; I’ve been agnostic towards the proposition of God for a few years now. Having watched the presence of theists on forums like this dwindle greatly over the years, it has become apparent that they lack a credible philosophical position from which to assert or argue their theistic claims, or they would be here doing so. In light of this (their absence) and the lack of defence of their position, it is reasonable to claim that atheists, at least on the philosophical battlefield, have won the God debate. In all my years of adherence to belief systems, there is not a single argument for God’s existence that does not first assume He exists, rather than showing by reason, logical discourse, or factuality that He can or does. Well done to atheists!

[Good_Egg]

Christians are followers of Jesus. Jesus lived in a society that believed in God. So the recorded words of Jesus do not address God's existence, because his audience did not doubt that.

Any one-line summary is an over-simplification. But if you can tell me what you think is a good one-line summary of the teachings of Jesus, then I suggest that that is what defines what sort of Christian you are.

For example, I might say that the message of Jesus is primarily about God wanting us to show humility, meekness, justice, mercy, rather than wanting participation in religious ritual and religious narrative.

So I guess that's the sort of Christian I am.

And to that sort of Christian, a moral atheist - one who rejects religious ritual and narrative altogether whilst pursuing mercy, justice etc - is on the side of the angels despite their protestations.